The public comment period held as part of the NMAAHC EIS process began on December 21, 2008 with the publication of the NMAAHC DEIS Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The initial public comment period ended on February 4, 2008, but due to the public release of the draft over the holiday season, the Smithsonian Institution extended the public comment period by two weeks, to February 19, 2008. The extension of the public comment period was announced at the public hearing on January 10, 2008 and was formalized in an amended Notice of Availability published in the Federal Register on January 11, 2008. Eight speakers provided oral testimony at the public hearing. To download a transcript of the public hearing, click here.
A total of eight individuals and nine organizations have provided comments. Thirteen letters were received. To download a copy of the letters, see the table below.
Date |
Individual or Organization |
|---|---|
01/10/2008 |
|
01/10/2008 |
|
01/10/2008 |
|
02/01/2007 |
|
02/06/2008 |
|
01/24/2008 |
|
01/29/2008 |
|
02/13/2008 |
|
02/14/2008 |
|
02/18/2008 |
|
02/19/2008 |
|
| 02/19/2008 | National Trust for Historic Preservation |
| 02/19/2008 | Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society |
[ Public Scoping]
According to the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA, the purpose of the scoping process is to determine the scope of the EIS so that preparation of the document can be effectively managed. Scoping helps ensure that problems (often termed “issues”) are identified early and thoroughly studied, that issues of little significance are dismissed and do not consume time and effort, that the draft EIS is thorough and balanced, and that delays that could result from an inadequate draft EIS are avoided. This is accomplished during the scoping process through the following:
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identifying public and agency concerns;
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clearly defining the environmental issues and alternatives to be examined in the EIS;
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identifying related issues which result from separate legislation, regulation, or Executive Order, such as historic preservation or endangered species concerns; and
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identifying state and local agency requirements which must be addressed.
To download a copy of the summary of comments from the Public Scoping process for the NMAAHC EIS, click here.
[ Public Meeting ]
The first public meeting for the EIS process was held on January 04, 2007 at the National Music Center, formerly the City Museum, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.
Download the transcript of the January 4, 2007 Public Meeting
The public comment period for the DEIS is now closed. We look forward to publishing a Final EIS in Summer 2008.